Luminous switch-indicator.



v one edge of the switch plate 1.

ELIOT OHARA, OF WALTHAM, IVIASSACHUSETTS.

LUMINoUs SWITCH-INDICATOR.

Application filed September 20, 1918.

To all 107mm t may concern:

Be it known that I, Emo'r OHARA, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'altham, lcounty of Middlesex. State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement, in Luminous Switch- Indieators, of which the following is a Specification, reference being` had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of the invention 1s to provide a` separable device which may be readily attached to a switch plate to serve as an indicator or nder in the dark'for the switch or a. push button. The invention consists in making a devicel of the character described in a forni which may be sold as a separate article of manufacture and may be readily attached to 'one of the ordinary switch plates and yet which presents enough ditiiculty in removal to prevent easy theft.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings. Figure l is a view showing in elevation a sii itch plate attached to a wall andlnlving a device embodying the invention attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device embodying the invention detached.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. t is a section on line l Fig. 5 shows a modified form of means for attaching the deviceto the switch plate.

Referring now to the drawirings, 1 represents an ordinary switch plate attached to a wall and having the two push buttons 2, 3,

one of which is pushed in to turnen the light and the other of which gis pushed in to turn oft' the light. The switch plate 'is ordinarily secured to the wall by screws 4, 5.

The device embodying the invention has a main body portion 6 which is to lie on the front face of the switch plate and a. hooked portion 7 which may be made to. engage over The preferred place of engagement is at the upper end of the switch plate as shown in the drawings. Preferably this hooked portion is an extension of the body 6. The body portion 6 of the device is formed with a hole 8 so located that when the devicev is slipped Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-Mar. 4, 1919.

Serial No. 254,981.

onto the switch plate as shown in Fig. 1, the said h'ole 8 will be in alinement with the screw hole in the switch plate provided for the screw et, so that the screw at may be used not only for fastening the switch plate l to the wallof the room or other supporting surface, but also for securing the indicator device to the switch plate.

The device, is provided with a luminous pointer of some kind in the body portion 6, said indicator being of such form and so disposed on the body portion 6 that when the device is attached to the switch plate, ythe pointer will point in the direction of the push button. The preferred form and method of construct-ing the indicator is as follows: The body portion G is preferably of metal and the preferred metal is brass, although this is not essential. A slot t) is cut through the metal of a design suitable for an indicator. The preferred form of design is in the shape of an arrow with the pointed end of the arrow pointing toward the push buttons 2, 3 when the device is attached to the switch plate as shown in Fig. 1.- Any other suitable form of pointer however may be employed.

Applied to the back face of the body portion (3 of the device is a sheet of material 10 which has applied to one face thereof luminous material l1, which renders the sheet l0 luminous in the dark. This sheetl() is preferably made of some. transparent material such for instance as celluloid', glass, mica or gelatin having' a coating- 11 of some suitable luminous .ubstaiu-e, preferably a self luminous material containing radium. There is thus exposed through the arrow shaped aperture 9 a portion of the sheet 1.0 which in the dark appears as a luminous arrow. The coating is preferably on the back side of the sheet l0 so that it will be protected from the wear which would come to it through the slot 9 if it were on the front face. The celluloid being some transparent or at least translucent allows the front face to be rendered luminous even though the coating is on the back face.

Preferablj.Y the sheet l() has an embossed portion in form of an arrow of' aV size and shape to fit into the arrow shaped opening 9 in the body plate 6.

The sheet 10 may be secured to the b ack vface of t-he body plate 6 in any suitable manner to retain it in proper position. The prepas nous sheet secured to the back ferred method ot' crimping` over the forming av lip oi' securing it in place is by edges ot' the body vplate (3, flange l2 which engages over the edges of the sheet l() as shown in Fig. Li. ln order to protect the lluminous substance ll therel is preferably provided a backing 13 ot' some suitable sheet material as for instance an opaque celluloid sheet so as to keep the luminous material from -contact with the switch plate.

In such case the flange l2 will engage the back side off-the backing 13 instead ot coming directly in contact with the sheet 1t).

ln the modification shown in Fig. 5 the body plate (5 is formed with a plurality ot' tabs 14: instead of a continuous flange 12 to clamp the luminous plate to the back of the body plate (5. i

While the form of pointery is shown as in the shape of an arrow it may of course be of any other suitable form. Also instead of having' the sheet l0 attached to the back face of the body member 6 and showing through a. slot, the luminous Apointer may be attached't-o the front face of the body member 6 or even beI painted directly on the front face of the metal body (5 by means of luminous paint. invention is a separable device made as a separate article of manufacture and provided with a luminous indicator forming; a

' part of the body of the device, the device being so constructed and arranged that it may be readily attached to an ordinary switch plate so that when so attached the indicator will point toward the switch button or buttons.

yThe device may be attached to the switch plate without removing the switch plate from the wall. This is done by simply removing' the upper'screw L to permit the upper end of the switch plate to be slightly lifted away from the wall, enough to make aslight crevice so that the hook 7 may be engaged over the top of the switch plate in the position shown in the drawings and then the screw will be set up again thus clamping the switch plate firmly to the wall and clamping the leg oit' the ho'ok portion 7 of the indicator device firmly between the switch plate and the wall.

The device is thus secured so that it cannot be snatched otl'l quickly by a thief as could be dono il it. were simply hooked onto the switch plate, yet it is capable of removal if occasion requires, without damage to thc switch plate.

TVhat'I claim is:

l. A switch plat@ indicator attachment comprising a body plate having a slot therein shaped in the lorm oi a pointer, said slot extending through the body plate, a lumii face otl the body plate covering` said opening' in such manier that a. luminous design is shown The main feature ot the through the said slot correspoluling with the contour of the slot, means for securing said luminous sheet to the body plate, and means for securing the said device to a switch plate.

2. A vswitch plate indi -ator attaclnnent comprising a body plate havinga slot therein shaped in the. form of a pointer, said slot extending through the body plate, a luminous sheet' secured to the, back tace of the body plate, covering` said opening in such mannerthat a luminous design is shown through the said slot correspondiup with the contour oi the slot, and means tor securing' said luminous sheet to the body plate7 said body plate being'ft'ormcd with a hooked cxtcnsion at one end to engage over one end ol a switch plate. and being' formed with a screw hole whereby a single screw may pass through thel indicator attachment and through a switch plate into a support.

3. As an independent article -ot' manufacture, an indicator comprising a body member having thereon a pointer vwhich is selfluminous in the dark and which is of such design that it points plainly in a dciinite direction, said body .memberhaving a hook portion which adapted to engage in such position over one edge of a support which contains the object to be pointed out that the said pointer will indicate deiinitely the eX- act line of direction to the said object.

l. A switch plate indicator attachnient coml'irising a body plato portion having a slot therein shaped in the form of a pointer, said slot extending through the said body plate, a luminous sheet applied to the back' face of the body plate covering said opening and exposing through said opening a luminous design corresponding in contour with the contour ot' the slot, a sheet of opaque material applied to the back face of said luminous sheet, and means for securing said backing' and said luminous sheet to the back face of the body plate.

5. A switch plate indicator attachment comprising' a body plate portion having' a slot therein shaped in the Jform ot' a pointer, said slot extending through the said body plate, a luminous sheet applied to the back tace of the body plate covering),` said opening` and exposing through said opening a luminous design corresponding in contour with the contour of the slot, said body plate being formed with iang'es whichl clamp the lumi-M nous sheet to the back tace of said bod-y plate, said body plate also being formed with a hooked extension which is adapted to engage over one edge of a switch plate and is formed with a screw hole, to receive a. screw to pass through .the said body plate and through `a switch plate into a supportingr surface.

3. A switch plate indicator attachment comprising' a body portion having thereon a pointer which is luminous in the dark, said body having a hooked portion to engage over one edge of a switch plate and thereby permit the body portion to overhang the front face of the switch plate.

7. A switch plate indicatoi` attachment comprising a body portion having thereon a pointer which is luminous in the dark, said body havino' a hooked portion to engage over one edge ot? a switch plate and thereby per-l mitrthe body portion tooverhang the front face of the switch plate, said body plate being formed With a screw hole to receivey a screw to pass through the body plate and switch plate.

8. A switch plate indicator attachment comprising a body plate portion having a slot extending therethrough, a sheet of material secured to the back of said body plate covering said opening, said sheet having on that portion -which is exposed through the slot a material which is luminous in the dark7 and a hook for Securing said body plateJ to a switch plate in such manner as to overlie theI front face of the switch plate.

In testimonyl whereof I aiiiX my signature.

ELIOT OHARA. 

